One version of a strapping tool of the type noted above is disclosed in Cheung U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,429. Certain aspects of a later version of such a manual strapping tool are disclosed in Nix U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,541. Different aspects of another, more recent version of such a strapping tool are disclosed in two patent applications filed contemporaneously on Oct. 8, 1993, under U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/133,284 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/133,290 respectively, and assigned commonly herewith.
Tremper U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,512 provides a useful example of a steel strap having a series of interlocking joints formed by interlockable shoulders punched into its overlapped ends.
Generally, a strapping tool of the type noted above comprises an actuating handle, which is arranged to be manually oscillated. The actuating handle rotates an output shaft, which actuates a series of cams, by means of an input shaft, to which the actuating handle is coupled, and by means of intermediate gears. Several of the cams drive punches, which punch interlockable shoulders into two overlapped ends of a steel strap.
One of the cams drives a cutter, which compressively cuts through the outer one of the overlapped ends of the applied strap, so as to desirably cut any excess strap from the applied strap without cutting into the inner one of the overlapped ends. An anvil supports the overlapped ends of the strap as the cutter compressively cuts through the outer one of the overlapped ends. Conventionally, the cutter has been provided with one cutting edge, which eventually becomes dull. Generally, it is inconvenient to resharpen the cutting edge or to replace the cutter, which heretofore has been an expensive component.
Manual strapping tools of the type noted above are available commercially from Signode Industry Packaging Systems (a unit of Illinois Tool Works Inc.) of Glenview, Ill., under its SIGNODE trademark. One such commercially available tool (SIGNODE Model SMC-12/58/34 Combination Strapping Tool) includes a removable cutter, which has a single blade, and which is designed to slide into and out from a recess in a cutter holder so as to facilitate replacement of the removable cutter.